There’s probably nothing better than the mountains in summer. The days are hot and sunny and the nights are cool with that perfect temperature for sleeping in a tent. Lake Tahoe really comes alive in the summer months with various outdoor sports and special events. Even though this list could go on ad infinitum, we narrowed it down to the top 50.

1. Kayak to Fannette Island, hike up to the tea house and jump off the rocks into Emerald Bay

2. Hit a few golf balls into the water at Edgewood and then go snorkeling to find them again

3. Get an all-over tan on the nude beach at Secret Cove.

4. Hike to the top of Mount Tallac for views of Fallen Leaf Lake, Cascade Lake, Desolation Wilderness, and South Lake Tahoe.

5. Bring a picnic for the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival’s production of As You Like It at Sand Harbor.

6. Grab a beer and chat with the locals at the Genoa Bar (Nevada’s Oldest Thirst Parlor) in Genoa.

7. Hike from Emerald Bay to Lester Beach on the Rubicon Trail.

8. Paddleboard from King’s Beach to Crystal Bay on the North Shore.

9. Find your balance at the Wanderlust yoga festival at Squaw Valley.

10. Go kayak or boat camping at the Emerald Bay Boat-In Campground.

11. Go Euro and get a crepe at Coffeebar in Truckee or a gelato at Where We Met café in Tahoma.

12. Fly along the water on a jet ski from Tahoe Sports.

13. Hike to the top of Mount Rose and a get a view of Reno/Sparks, Carson City, Washoe Valley, and all of Lake Tahoe.

For single family homes SOLD in the Truckee / Lake Tahoe area, total active declined 6% from January to February, and actual sales prices were up, both average prices (+10%) as well as median prices (+24%). For condos/townhomes, total active inventory declined by 4%, average sales prices were down 12%, but median prices were up 8%. Much of the limited, new inventory coming on the market is snatched up quickly as there is a pent-up demand from buyers who have missed out in previous multiple-offer situations. We anticipate this will continue for at least the next couple of months as we don’t expect any substantial increase in inventory until the winter ski season is over and inventory that has been on ski leases possibly comes on the market.

Market Profile Report – Truckee/Lake Tahoe

I hope this information is useful to you in your decision making process for buying or selling a home. Please contact me for more market statistics or market information.

Excellence in Education board members enjoying the snow at Northstar’s 2010 Skiing for Schools date!

2011 – 2012 Skiing for Schools Dates

On selected days, the participating resorts are offering skiers and snowboarders special discounted lift tickets and the opportunity to support education. The proceeds from your lift ticket purchase go directly to the Excellence in Education Foundation, which provides enhanced educational opportunities for our local students.

Sugar Bowl – Saturday – Friday, December 17- 23 – $35 lift tickets valid any one day from December 17 -23. Purchase tickets the week prior to the valid period at Porters in Truckee or Tahoe City. Thank you for your support!

Tahoe Donner Cross Country – Sunday – Friday, January 8 – 13 – $15 trail passes valid any one day from January 8 – 13. Purchase tickets the week prior at Paco’s in Truckee or Alpenglow in Tahoe City. Thank you for your support!

Tahoe Cross Country – Sunday – Friday, January 22 – 27 – $15 lift tickets available the week prior at Paco’s in Truckee or Alpenglow in Tahoe City. Thank you for your support!

Royal Gorge – Monday – Sunday, January 30 – February 5 – $15 trail pass valid any one day from January 30 – February 5. Passes are available the week prior at Paco’s in Truckee or Alpenglow in Tahoe City. Thank you for your support!

Tahoe Donner Ski Area – Sunday – Friday, January 30 – February 5 – $25 lift tickets valid any one day from January 30 – February 5. Purchase tickets the week prior at Porters Sports in Truckee or Tahoe City. Thank you for your support!

Sugar Bowl- Saturday – Friday, March 24 -30 – $35 lift tickets valid any one day from March 24 -30. Purchase tickets the week prior at Porters Sports. Tickets will be sold until March 23 or until sold out.

Squaw Valley USA and Alpine Meadows – Sunday, April 15 to end of the season – $35 lift tickets valid any one day at either resort from April 15 to the end of the season. Purchase tickets the week prior at Porters Sports.

Purchase downhill ski tickets the week prior to the valid ticket period at Porters Sports locations (Truckee and Tahoe City). Purchase cross-country passes in advance at Paco’s in Truckee and Alpenglow in Tahoe City. A limited supply of tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis and will not be available at the resorts the day(s) of the event. Check and cash are preferred form of payment. Tickets are not refundable. All Skiing for Schools proceeds are donated to Excellence in Education through your lift ticket purchase and the generous support of participating ski resorts.

Single Family:
• 571 total active/active-contingent listings (down 9% from a total of 630 a month ago)
• 124 REO/SS = 22% (down 13% from a total of 142 a month ago)
• 27 REO (down 25% from a total of 36 a month ago)
• 97 SS, of which 59% have offers working (down 8% from a total of 106 a month)

Condos/Townhomes:
• 231 total active/active-contingent listings (down just 1% from a total of 233 a month ago)
• 32 REO/SS = 14% (down just 9% from a total of 35 a month ago)
• 6 REO (down 33% from a total of 9 a month ago)
• 26 SS, of which 62% have offers working (no change from last month)

Although there’s not a significant change in the condo/townhome statistics for distressed properties (except for 1/3 less REOs), on the ‘single family’ front, this is 2 months of significant drops in number of REO/Short Sale properties on the market. At the beginning of December, there were a total of 171 single family REO/SS listings (active and active-contingent); today there are 124, a 27% drop. Twould be nice if this were a trend!

As I analyze these, I’m always looking for a trend, and the one thing that is apparent is that in most cases, the number of units sold is up this year over last. And in several areas/comparisons, short sales are up with REOs being down, which is a good sign. I know many of you are still challenged getting approvals, but it appears that the government’s directives to lenders to “get with the program and shorten the response time on short sale approval requests” may have had an impact.

Median prices, although still less this year than for the same period last year, are going up, with less of a drop than the comparisons for previous months. So hopefully that is a positive sign as well.